Kenneth W Larsen

North Mankato Mortuary - NORTHVIEW
2060 Commerce Drive PO Box 4188
North Mankato, MN 56002
507-388-2288


Kenneth W Larsen, age 94, of North Mankato, died Thursday, October 28, 2010 at Oak Terrace Living Center.

Funeral service will be 2 pm Sunday, October 31, 2010 at North Mankato Mortuary NORTHVIEW. Burial with military honors will be in Minneopa Cemetery. There will be a time to visit with the family from 12 noon until the time of service on Sunday.

Kenneth was born, the first of 14 children, on March 25, 1916 in Good Thunder to Will C. and Blanche (Samuelson) Larsen. He grew up in rural Good Thunder. He entered the military service and served as an MP with the 8th Air Force during World War II in Florida and England. He also served in the Army Air Force 8th Infantry, which swept through Germany, where Kenneth was wounded and received a Purple Heart. While serving, as a guard at the airbase in Sudbury, England, he met his future wife, Grace Rose Garrod. He returned to England, following the war and married Grace on November 30, 1946 at Great Waldingfield, Suffolk, England. They lived in England for a year, before returning to the United States. They farmed in rural Mankato and rural Lake Crystal, before retiring to Mankato in 1978.

Kenneth is lovingly survived by his wife of 64 years, Grace Larsen of North Mankato; four children and their spouses, Linda and James Kretsch of New Ulm, Sonia and Allen Hager of White Bear Lake, Charles and Connie Larsen of Good Thunder, Brenda and Tom Allen of North Mankato; grandchildren, Jennifer Kretsch of Waconia, Suzanne (Richard) Ruppin of Sale Creek, TN, Chad (Gina), Jessica, Jayme, and Steven (Nicole) Hager all of White Bear Lake, Jeremy (Amy) Larsen on Manson, IA; Matt Larsen of Golden Valley, Shane Larsen of Good Thunder, Kristina (Brad) Guth of St. Peter, Kim (David) Luiken of Mankato, Scott Allen of Fargo, ND; great-grandchildren, Alexis Kretsch, Calvin, Kaitlyn, and Robert Hager, Molly, Kori, and Riley Larsen, Kole, Hailee, Brock and Makayla Guth, Breena and Elijah Luiken; siblings and their families, George (Una) Larsen of Mankato, Carol Nimps of Virginia, MN, Alice (Willis) Olson of St. Peter, MN, Ellen Miller of Mandan, ND, Dolores (John) Wolf of Prescott, AZ, Artis (Ray) Wolf of New Ulm, Blanche Schaefer of Madelia.

Kenneth was preceded in death by his parents; son, Steven Larsen; siblings, Willis Larsen, Andrew Larsen, Kermit Larsen, Bona Jean Johnson, Rosella Schaefer and an infant sister.